“Speaking to the people, he went on, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.” (Luke 12:15)
“This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you.” (John 15:12-14)
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

I want to make a confession. As I journey towards my retirement, I enjoy looking back to see what I was writing about in my monthly Pastor’s Pen articles. Some remind me about things we have done together, and others speak of lessons about what it means to be the church, and still others address world issues that we face as Christians. Not all are relevant to our current days. But I came across this Pastor’s Pen for Thanksgiving 2021. Maybe you remember it; I don’t. I like the message and felt it is worth sharing again. I hope it blesses you again.
“Tis the season of Thanksgiving. Although we should express our gratitude to God year-round; we place more emphasis on it at this time of year because we have a special day on the calendar called Thanksgiving. Many of us will gather with family and friends for a delicious meal…maybe play some games or watch football…or maybe nap after gorging ourselves with turkey, known to be full of tryptophan. Ah…what a delightful day!
However, it is good for us to keep this pleasure in perspective. One thing to keep in mind is that there are many who are not looking forward to having a Thanksgiving with these delights. The loss of a loved one, brokenness in a relationship, poor health, financial challenges, fear and insecurity can put a damper on celebrating Thanksgiving and feeling thankful. This is not said to make anyone feel shame or guilt for enjoying the holiday; but perhaps, this reminder will inspire us to be generous with some expressions of understanding and hope through acts of kindness.
No matter our circumstances, we all have reasons to be thankful. I chose the three verses above to guide some of our thoughts as we prepare our spirits for Thanksgiving.
The scripture from Luke, challenges us to loosen our hold on our desire for things. We surely should be grateful for whatever we possess; but that which we have should not overtake us with pride and greed. As the verse says, we are not defined by what we have. God finds the essence of who we are as He looks into our hearts and sees the results of what motivates our words and actions. Thanking God for what we have means recognizing with grace that which we have; and at the same time offering to God opportunities to bless others through that which we’ve been given.
The second scripture I’ve chosen for this thanksgiving reflection, is to remind us of the blessings we receive through our friendships with others; particularly those with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Friendship is one of the greatest gifts we can be given in our lifetime. However, it is not a free gift. As the scripture reminds us, long lasting friendships require empathy, effort, consistency, forgiveness…all of which are expressions of love. We have received this great gift of love from our Savior, Jesus Christ; our dearest and truest friend. As we love others, then, as he loves us, we are drawn into deeper friendship with him. The friendship we have with Jesus, and with our brothers and sisters in Christ should not be taken for granted. We should offer our gratitude for these important relationships.
And finally, the third scripture I chose for this reflection, is to remind us to give thanks for the opportunities we have to serve others…to answer God’s call to help build God’s kingdom. What a privilege we have in blessing others through words and deeds! It is not always easy to make the sacrifice of our time, energy and resources to do what God needs us to do. But the rewards are great. We please God when we reach out to others. And, our faith is strengthened as we reflect on how the Holy Spirit has empowered and used our words and actions to bless others. Yes, we are blessed to have occasions to serve, and we should give thanks to God for these opportunities
There is much for which to be grateful. I encourage you to take some time to reflect on the verses I have shared here with you. Think about the specifics in each area as you’ve experienced them over the past year. Then, pray with thanksgiving to God for the blessings that you have received. We all have reasons for offering our thankfulness to God. Praise and thanksgiving to our glorious God…and our Savior, Jesus Christ!” Happy Thanksgiving, Pastor Twyla

“For surely, I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

As I pondered what to write for this month’s Pastor’s Pen, I found myself led with curiosity to revisit what I wrote for my first article as your interim pastor. The first article was basically and introduction to Don and me; but the second article began addressing the time of transition the congregation was beginning to go through transition. You said goodbye to your previous pastors, welcomed me, and were engaged in the process of finding a new pastor. I read what I wrote then and felt led to share it again because circumstances are similar at this time. The congregation has changed and grown since then, so some of you will be reading this for the first time. I wrote the following for the October 2019 newsletter.

Have you ever felt disappointed over something? If not, you are one of the luckiest people in the world. Don and I were disappointed when the vacation we had planned for August 2019 had to be postponed until another year. We were planning to take two weeks and ride our motorcycles to Nova Scotia. We had money put back for the trip and we were having fun checking out websites for places we could tour. Unfortunately, when elements of my job were changed, we felt some uncertainty about the future. So, as much as we hated to do it, we felt it would be wise to postpone the trip for another year.

The Bible contains stories of many people who experienced disappointment. I think of Sarai and Hannah who were unable to bare children; Job, who lost everything as the devil tried to break his faithfulness to God; Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers; and Moses, who came down from the mountain with the tablets of God’s commandments only to find that the Israelites were worshipping a golden calf. As you can see, we’re in pretty good company when it comes to dealing with disappointment.

The reasons for our disappointments are that we set high expectations on people and circumstances. I believe those expectations are greater when it comes to the church. We expect our programs to succeed. We expect worship services and sermons to move us. We expect our pastors to have all the answers and remain with us indefinitely. We expect our church buildings to last forever. We expect everyone to be of one mind in regards to issues and scriptures. But the reality is that even though we follow the One who is perfect…the church is not perfect.

The question then is how will we deal with our disappointments? Will we say things that are hurtful and regrettable; or will we participate in dialogue that heals and builds up the church? Will we distance ourselves from those we blame for our disappointment; or will we confront in love those with whom we differ and seek understanding? Will we withhold our time, talents and resources, making it more difficult to sustain our ministries and create new ones; or will we honor our covenant to support the church? Will we be patient and committed to the church we love?

When we listen to the stories of our bible heroes, we find that they were faithful to their commitment to God; and they turned to God for help in dealing with their disappointments. They may not have always gotten the exact results they were seeking, but God provided what was needed. I took my vacation disappointment to God, which did not end with us getting to take our planned trip; but we did get a less expensive vacation trip and better yet…I was called to serve as your interim (and unknown at that time, your permanent pastor).

While the experience of disappointment is not something to be denied; neither should it take priority over our commitment to the church and to God’s call to ministry through the church. Holding on to and feeding disappointments with the church does nothing but weaken and tear her down. On the other hand, looking to God for ways to turn our disappointments into something positive will lead to success in helping to build the kingdom of God; and, that’s what it is all about…isn’t it? Let us never allow our disappointments keep us from our commitment to doing God’s will together.

And now…I want to add to this that I know you are bound together by God’s love as a family, and although transition is upon you again because of my upcoming retirement, and some of you may be feeling disappointed and anxious, I am confident that together you will navigate the challenges that come with it. Take everything to God in prayer. Communicate with one another with openness and love. And, always continue the work of Jesus. With God’s help, you’ve got this.
Blessings and Love, Pastor Twyla

A message from John Miller, Leadership Team Chairman

Greetings everyone! I am excited to update you of our progress on the process of calling a new Pastor to HCOB. Many thanks to Julie Herman for inviting our Mid-Atlantic District Executive, Doug Veal to attend our Leadership Team meeting on July 29, 2025, to explain the steps involved in the process of calling a new Pastor. Julie then called a special Leadership Team meeting on July 31, 2025, to arrive at a consensus of members to contact to serve on the Search Committee. Julie and I split the list–she contacted the women and I contacted the men on the list. The results were absolutely amazing!

Three short days later we had a Search Committee consisting of nine people (it only took the third day because we were unable to contact one of the members who was away on vacation). Those answering the call to serve on the Search Committee are: Ed Beachley, Vince Bourdeau, Amy Clipp, Jack Finniff, Nicole Forsythe, Heather Kees, Roberta Maas, Ed Plank and Eileen Smith. I am thankful and greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm and willingness to serve on the part of these nine people. We are all truly blessed to have them representing us!

The first meeting of the new Search Committee is scheduled for September 9, 2025. Doug Veal will attend. Their first task will be to complete a profile for the church, which, as Julie explained in the July Tidings, is essentially a comprehensive resume for the church  describing the make-up of our congregation, the programs and services we provide, our re- sources and financial picture and what we are looking for in a pastor. All of this progress has transpired under Julie’s leadership prior to my assuming the role of Leadership Team Chair after the re-organization meeting on August 26, 2025.

Once the church profile is completed it will be distributed to all the Districts in the Church of the Brethren. Interested pastors complete their own profiles (resumes). Profiles of pastors who might be a “fit” are referred to the Search Committee for review by the District Executive. The Search Committee will select from the prospective pastors those who they wish to interview, either in person or via zoom. If the interview goes well, a prospective pastor may be invited to a “meet and greet” on a Saturday evening, present a trial sermon on Sunday morning followed by a vote by members of the congregation on the pastor and the financial package.

I am convinced that GOD has chosen a pastor that he wants to carry on the ministry of HCoB. I pray that we have the patience to wait for GOD to reveal that pastor to us. Please pray for wisdom and discernment for the members of the search committee as they begin this task for which they have been chosen. Please respect the fact that it is crucial that prospective pastors, information and actions of the Search Committee must remain confidential.

Looking forward with anticipation to what GOD has planned for us.
John Miller
Leadership Team Chair

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NRSVUE): “For surely I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD, “plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. When you search for me, you will find me; if you seek me with all your heart.”